Infamous: Orange County
by CrowSeetan
Summary: Set somewhat between Infamous 1 and 2. This story revolves around the area formally known as Orange County, now called "Orange Wastelands". After a devastating set of attacks on nuclear plants around the US after Empire, the country was left infected with a mysterious plague and a breed of people known as Conduits. Unfortunately for them, the rest of the world doesn't welcome them.
1. Chapter 1: Prequel

The Following Story is a fiction. All company names listed within are merely for fictual purposes, and are in no way the actual behavior or systems of the company. I don't claim ownership or membership with any of these companies, nor do the views or events in this story show my views or anyone else's.

**San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station**

**Former Reactor Dome 1**

**DARPA BioNuclear Engineering**

**12/21/2012 - 0250hrs (2:50am)**

Security Sergeant Markus Caine gave a sigh, leaning against the solid concrete barrier that led to the hollowed out shell of the old reactor. He shook his head, under the client's strict orders to remain outside. The red keycard clipped to his Kevlar vest glinted in the ominous glow of the halogen lights above. Grunting, he took a small flashlight and aimed it towards the hills, flashing it a few times. A second later, a small pinpoint light flashed back. _Fuckin' snipers…_ he chuckled, knowing that the cold sea air was probably the snipers element, and all he had to do was look through his scope. Caine didn't care. He was assigned to stay in front of the reactor, something that made him feel uneasy. Every so often someone would emerge from the door. He'd scan their keycard, then watch them move on, gear clinking and shuffling. Whatever went on down there kept him on edge, but as a security guard under federal contract, he kept his mouth shut.

GlobalTech Security Systems had two policies when under federal orders:

Never question the clients.

Don't let ANYONE past.

Sergeant Caine, a six year veteran to GlobalTech, and an eight year veteran of the Marines, knew to follow orders spot on. Tonight was just another night. Go in, search some nerds, get out, get drunk. That was his agenda for the night. Whether the radiation would get to him, or if someone would be stupid enough to try and make a move on the plant, well, that wasn't really on his mind. The sounds of boots snapped him from his single track thought, and he rested a hand on the Beretta M9 holstered on his hip. "Who goes there?"

"It's me Sarge. Relieving you. Go on, they've got muffins and shit in the briefing room."

"You know that crap is probably nuclear." Caine tutted, fishing through his pockets and withdrawing a cigarette.

"Ahh I don't give a damn. It's good, and it's food. I'm wouldn't blow my break just to go up to San Clemente for a burger. Just go try it out." Said the other guard.

Caine nodded, lit his cigarette, and with a sigh stepped past him and moved along. As he continued, he noticed a blur of movement coming from in between two reactor domes. He stopped, cigarette in mouth, and aimed his flashlight in that direction. "Hello? Who goes there?" he said. Silence came back. He narrowed his eyes, and stepped towards the spot. He could feel the sniper aiming just over his shoulder, wanting to both check out what Caine was looking for, and see if he could kill it first. After finding nothing, Caine groaned and holstered the light, before continuing towards the main took three steps, then stopped, looking up at the top of the reactor dome. He spotted a figure standing there. It was too dark to make out his face, but he was clad in a dark suit. Caine narrowed his eyes, and whistled to get the mans attention. Nothing. He keyed the mic on his radio and spoke, "Sam-1 reporting, I got an unknown tango, on tops of Reactor 2. Seems to be a large male, about 7' tall, dark suit. Any backup units respond."

No grabbed the mic and repeated his message, slower and louder this time. Still no response. Grabbing his flashlight, he flashed it at the hill again, before aiming it up towards the figure. The light didn't reach the man, but he knew that if the sniper was watching, he would've followed the light and switched over to his radio frequency. Now on alert, Caine moved to the ladder and began climbing. He continued, moving up, until he was only a few feet from the figure. From here, he could see that the man was in a formal business suit, black in color, and was looking down at the entrance to Reactor 1, leaning against the antenna pole. Caine drew the M9 and took aim, "Security! Don't move!". The man merely turned his head a bit, before resuming his viewing of the Reactor.

"Put your hands up! On your head, do it now!"

"Come to check out the fireworks too, eh?" came a cold, dark voice. Caine blinked and shook his head, "Get on your knees! Hands up!"

"I'm afraid that's not an option, _sergeant_." Came the voice again. Caine glared at the man, keeping his pistol trained on him, "Who the hell are you?"

"They call me Judge. Not really what I do, but I guess more so what I am." He said simply. He turned around and looked Caine in the eyes. "Do you know what goes on down there?"

Caine growled, and shook his head.

"Right. Well then. I guess I'll start here. How many people live on Earth…. Maybe, 7 billion? Well, out of those, there are several thousand people who hold a specific gene. It's called the conduit gene. No one knows it exists just yet… well, a few… but it holds the ability to take harmful nuclear and biological radiation and make it into something positive and powerful. Superpowers if you want. And here, in all it's filth, is the United fucking States exploiting and engineering ways to quarantine and remove these abilities. Just imagine. If you pose a threat to the government, even just by existing with a few special powers, you get purged. Some argue this keeps balance in check. If you ask me, it's barbaric, and rather unfair. So many people in the world are unaware of this gift. Thankfully, there are people like me, who will liberate them… show them their true strength. Yes.."

"Why are you telling me this crap." Growled Caine, still holding his weapon out. Superpowers? Either this guy was drunk or he was crazy. Either way, he was dangerous.

"Because there is literally nothing you can do, Sergeant. You can shoot me. Doesn't matter. We're both dead anyway." Said the man, standing up and moving away from the pole and looking Caine square in the face. "You and I…" he said softly. "We're the same, don't you get that?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" snapped Caine.

"You and I, are going to be the first to change. Though… I for the better, and you for the worse. The last few men you witnessed entering that chamber were not who you thought they were. Call us terrorists, we prefer to think of ourselves as the Infamous. This entire facility, in one night, became a key. A key leading to a door to a new world. And when the plan is completed, you and all the other judgement filled people of this earth will die and suffer a plague of poison and sickness, while WE thrive, grow, and our powers surface! I will be reborn, this body destroyed and replaced with one of a true conduit!" he cried. Caine blinked and cocked back the hammer to his pistol.

"Bullshit… there's nothing you can…" he started, before a rumble came from beneath. He looked down, and back up at the man. "What have you done…"

"It's begun." He replied simply, before leaping back away from the center. With a roar, a circular hole was torn from the shell, going all the way through the thick metal and concrete to the core of the reactor. Caine fell back, losing his weapon in the process. He stared at the ominous machinery and metal enclosure, knowing exactly what it was. Steam billowed out, fogging the air, as the plants sirens began to wail.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" he repeated in shock, feeling the immense heat of the uranium core below. The man merely laughed, holding up a spherical object, which was glowing in the middle.

"I have begun the process. Energy field manipulation, my friend! Not even this shell of metal and stone can stop it. So, now, we change the world! Together, yes? And what more perfect of a day to do it then the day the world is supposed to end!" he said with another laugh, before switching on the sphere and dropping it into the reactor chamber. A brilliant white light flashed, and before either of them could utter another word, the dome exploded, arcs of red electricity reaching out and destroying anything nearby. Reactor 3 was doing the same, and Caine, as he fell, could see a similar figure standing on the ground nearby, arms outstretched as though he was receiving a gift from the divine. The arcs disappeared, and Caine hit the ground hard, feeling bones in his body break. He groaned loudly, and grabbed his damaged mic, hitting the key. "Someone… help… someone…." He muttered, before the plant blew.

San Onofre was only a piece of the whole puzzle. Coordinated strikes against almost all nuclear plants crippled the United States. The world also sustained a blow as the terrorist attacks went international, Russia taking a specifically brutal blow. With the UN on full alert, the world began to catch itself from the fall, luckily preventing a nuclear war, given that most countries had immediately blamed each other for attacks. However, the explosions did not go without consequence. Immediately, the continental US suffered a strange plague, caused by a specific yet unknown type of radiation from the blasts. This plague grew like a cancer but spread without interference, the disease airborne and spread over the US like a blanket. Most people were fairly immune to the effects, with the most common symptoms being headaches, nausea, depression, and high fevers. The most dangerous symptoms were excessive blood loss (similar to the Ebola virus) and organ failure, due to the plagues mutation of cells within, causing them to attack the body. Death was becoming an epidemic, and the US showed no plan or ability to contain it. President Obama was nowhere to be found, though it was rumored that he was infected and suffering from it as well. In some places, the government failed to establish itself altogether. Law enforcement had devolved into a militia, dedicated to trying to keep the peace using all means, until it eventually led to simply executing those who wronged, regardless of the act. One of the worst areas was Southern California, once beautiful Orange County, now known as the Orange Wastelands. San Diego was practically destroyed by the reactor of a nuclear vessel being converted into a bomb. But what really hit, was the intention of the attacks.

All throughout the US, for the next few months, people began to surface showing an increase in abilities. Some could run far faster and longer than others. Some could take hits and fall from great distances without being harmed. Some could even manipulate specific elements, like fire. These people officially gave themselves a name, based on the gene that allowed them their abilities. Conduits. However, these Conduits weren't welcomed in most societies. In fact, many of them were prosecuted, blamed for events, and even hunted down and killed. Many kept their abilities to themselves, while some people with the gene didn't even receive their gifts, although they remained immune to the disease. The world spiraled, as racial and gender intolerances were replaced with extremist naturalism. Hated, the Conduits were exiled and left to fend for themselves, while the US continued to drop into a kill-or-be-killed nation, scarred and twisted.


	2. Chapter 2: Raiders

**Chapter One: Raiders**

**Capistrano Beach**

**Dana Point, CA**

**Orange Wastelands**

**3/13/2013 – 1332hrs (1:32PM)**

"Get the FUCK outta here you freak!" came the shrill call of someone hating another person. Crow grunted and snapped awake. His first thought was, _where the hell am I? _But as his senses kicked awake, he realized. He was passed out against the wall of Costco, and as he turned his attention to the massive crowd sitting at the food court, he caught sight of the disturbance. A man in tattered uniform was chasing off a kid, who was clinging to a small bundle wrapped in aluminum foil. The man threw some things at him, what look like coins, before turning and cursing his way back to the court. The people there went right back to their routine: Sit and wait, and hope to whatever gods they prayed to that the rations didn't run out. Technically, this wasn't even a Costco anymore. It was a makeshift ration distribution center, set up by the massive company GlobalTech and managed by the Church of America. _Wow. Takes a few people sneaking past your security and causing a nuclear travesty to get you to kick in, doesn't it_. Crow thought, before groaning and standing up, bones popping. He glanced at his watch, and let out a sigh. _1:36… _Irritated at his sleep being interrupted, he began to move on over to the group. He sported a pair of black slacks, a chain hanging on his right side, connected to his belt loop. Over that, he had a dark grey sweater, underneath a black hoodie. To compliment, he had his hands covered with sleek black rubberized gloves, though under them his right index and ring fingers held a single ring each, the only article on him that was actually his before the catastrophe. He was a medium sized man, a mere 22 in age, and a bit on the dark side color wise, coming from Egyptian background. Not that it mattered. He wasn't an intimidating sight at all, but that didn't stop people from backing away from him as he slouched past. Oh right… he was also a fully realized conduit. Conduits came in four stages, at least to him:

Unknown, where the person is completely unaware that they even have the gene, or know that they do but haven't developed any abilities. The only way to tell if someone is this is either through DNA testing, or by noting that despite a radioactivity fueled airborne plague, they remain completely healthy, if not soaring medically.

Undeveloped: A conduit who has shown the first signs of having a power, but also showing an inability to control or maintain it.

Developed: A conduit who has developed and honed his or her abilities, and can summon and call upon them at will. These and undeveloped are the most common. The majority of developed however, keep their powers hidden, to blend with society.

Realized: These conduits have honed and actually surpassed their original abilities. These people, have utilized their abilities for just about anything, including combat. However, these are also the most hated.

Crow didn't pay anyone any mind as he moved towards the entrance to the store. Inside, the store was full of palettes of food, Red Cross workers, and the old electronics and such that were either fried in the initial blast, or left because no one had a use for them anymore. A large screen TV was playing streams of various news networks, though no one cared about those anymore. Crow remained at the entrance, watching the screen, when the voice of hate that woke him up sounded behind him.

"I told you before; we don't serve _your kind_ here. Get out of here, demon." He snarled. Crow merely turned and looked him in the face, holding his hands up.

"I'm not here for the food. I was just watching the TV…"

"I don't give a shit. You devil demons aren't welcome on this property!"

"Oh come on man. The manager here said I could stay as long as I didn't…"

"This isn't a fucking Costco anymore, asshole. This is a Red Cross Food Distribution Center, and is servicing HUMANS in need of help. And you, lightning boy, aren't a human. So get the fuck out of my face and off my damn property!"

Crow growled, fists curled, before he shook his head and turned, walking off. The man kept watching him, before moving on to go brag about how he told off another conduit. Crow's abilities were simple. Electricity. Manipulating electricity to use to whatever advantage he pleased. Caused by the conduit gene connecting to and warping his nerve impulses, accelerating them and allowing them to absorb and act with the electrical currents of objects around him. He'd heard of one other case like this, off on the east coast, where Empire City once stood. A man had mastered his abilities to the point of being able to summon full storms of lightning. Crow wasn't able to hear about what happened to him. Empire City fell to a strange power, and the news eventually stopped covering it. It was funny really. Empire City was the first ever sign of the upcoming apocalypse. And not a single person paid enough attention to think, 'Hey, this might be a problem here." After the attacks and news of radiation began to grow old, the growing Church of America became the next greatest thing. The Church somehow managed to convince many people that the conduits are creations of the devil. A former Kansas Christian church, the members actually managed to form a national hate group, blaming the attacks on the conduits, regardless of age and gender, and sentencing them to exile from government sanctioned aid. The amendments must have a subtext reading, "_Not applicable after nuclear annihilation or presence of powers"_.

Crow continued down the road, looking up at the gas station on the corner. Numerous police cars were parked around it, with Orange Wasteland Militia painted roughly on them. Formerly the Orange County Sheriff's Department, the fact that most deputies were called into the disaster zones and hit hard with radiation and killed resulted in the survivors forming a larger organization for keeping the peace. Luckily for him, the militia didn't seem to care what you were, Conduit or not. The guards were armed with assault rifles and shotguns, watching the station while a tanker refilled it. Gas was like gold nowadays, especially with generators being more and more popular as more and more power was lost. Though to Crow it didn't matter. He could charge and power his own electronics… provided that he himself was charged. A simply tap into a streetlight or ATM machine kept him alive and in check.

A bum on the street looked up at him, shivering, before giving him a cold look. Even those with nothing found it within them to hate. Course being the religious type, as Crow learned the day before after giving him some change and getting yelled at for it, the man "didn't need help from the devil or his damned creatures.". Despite his deepest desire to electrocute the ungrateful man, Crow continued moving. The man kept his gaze on him, until Crow was just within earshot. Then he broke into a yellow grin.

"God will have you, demon."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" spat Crow. The abrupt use of language caught the old man off guard, but he stood his ground.

"You heard me, boy. God will deliver His judgment onto you. You are nothing but a creation of the devil. And God will come forth and cleanse this world of your kind. And your friends, and your siblings. Your paren…."

The old man had no time to finish his sentence, for Crow had grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall of the gas station. A few people took notice, but were too busy trying to score some of the gas being handed out. Even the militia turned a cold shoulder. Crow snarled, and held up his right hand, blue electricity sparking and jolting off it.

"You know, I could have just killed you. Avoid all this religious bullshit about how I'm some kind of fucking demon. Instead, I try to help you out, out of the kindness of my heart. And you, have the fucking audacity, to preach to me about this idiot God and how he's going to 'judge' me, you geriatric sack of shit?" He finished, shoving the old man away. The old man looked at him in shock, but not because of the threat.

"How DARE you use His name in vain. You will be purged, demon. You will." He said simply, before skulking off. Crow glared after him, before leaning against the wall himself. Demon, he was called that a lot. All Conduits were. There was probably not a single person here knew his name. The one given to him before the attacks. He got the name Crow due to the fact that the birds in the area took to circling him. A friend had predicted that the birds were tricked by the powerful electromagnetic field he gave off. Eventually, the crows disappeared, but the nickname stuck.

His name before the assault was Lucius Croft. An average 22 year old. Born to a good home and average lifestyle, he worked with his dad for a while, before switching over as a repair technician for a cable company. He lived at home, along with his mother, father, and two sisters. When the attacks and plague hit, his mother became a Conduit, but was refused medical service for a riot incident for it and passed away. His father and one sister are sick with the plague living nearby, and his other sister fled after she discovered that she was a conduit. Crow came to visit his father occasionally, bringing with him medicine and whatever extra resources he could gather. Despite being a Conduit with a particularly destructive ability, his father and sister were always grateful and happy to see him, and he was always happy as well. Crow gave a sigh, and stopped next to a militia cruiser, recognizing the guard inside.

"Paul." He said. The guard leaned over, glanced at him, and grinned, opening his door.

"Hey buddy! How're you doin'?" he asked, getting out of the cruiser.

"Ehh same old, really. Noticing that the Church is really cracking down on us." Crow said.

"Yeah man… hey, sorry about that. Really I am. I know it sucks, but after what you did for the militia here, just know that we've got your back brother. Need gas? Rations?"

"Well, I'm good on rations for now, but I was hoping you might be able to hook me up with some meds? Painkillers, antibiotics. Stuff to null pain and the like."

"Really, man? You're not headed down that path are ya?"

"No no, for my dad and sister Harley. Plagues not treating them well. Course they're resisting pretty well." Crow said thankfully. Paul nodded, and leaned against the cruiser. Crow glanced at the vehicle, and noticed something odd.

"What happened to your door? These scratches are deep as hell."

Paul looked down at the door, and sighed, "Fucking raiders, man. The I-5 is full of 'em. We went down to Camp Pendleton because apparently a group of Marines had survived Onofre and set up a small shelter. We were gonna go see if we could connect, but we got ambushed. Pendleton's torn to shit. Nothing goes in or out without resembling Swiss cheese."

"Raiders taking shots at the militia? What the hell?" Crow asked in surprise. "Normally those guys are all talk."

"They're getting desperate. Being so close to ground zero is making food scarce. To make things worse, the raiders are starting to turn on each other. So I guess it makes sense for them to go batshit and open fire when a convoy of police cars comes down their driveway." Paul said with a grim expression. Crow was about to speak when the crowd around the gas station started growing louder. The truck driver was in the center, holding up his hands and shouting something unintelligible. Crow and Paul moved over, and another militia guard stepped on top of his car, waving for the crowds attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to have to break it to you but we are completely dried on distributable gas. The only thing we have left is our emergency supply, and that goes to the medical centers!"

This generated quite the uproar.

"Oh come ON!"

"What the fuck is this? My KIDS are freezing!"

"Where's the goddamn government! We need help!"

The crowd shouted and yelled, a few objects flying through the air to pelt the now empty truck. The guard whistled to silence them, but seeing as that did nothing, he then drew his pistol and fired it into the air.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP. Listen to me. We're talking to a station up north in Mission Viejo, about 10 minutes away. They say, they have some gas they can spare, and they can try to fill the truck and bring it back here within a 45 minutes. Until then, you'll have to bear with our situation." He demanded, before hopping off his car to speak with the truck driver. The crowd continued to gripe and moan, but for the moment remained peaceful. Paul shook his head, and looked at Crow, "Militia's getting' restless. I figure at some point we're going to break apart. Only a matter of time, the way things are going."

"Wish I could help…" said Crow.

"Yeah, well… so long as the Church stands and governs what goes where, you won't be able to do much. And with GlobalTech in their palms, I'm sure that the minute they find out that we're supporting even just one Conduit, they'll cut off all support for this area and call it, "redirecting support to a more devastated location.' Pieces of shit." He spat. "But listen. I gotta run and take out an order at the ration center." He said. "I'll pick up the meds and bring 'em to your folks place. You get some rest though. You look like you slept against a fucking concrete wall." Paul added with a chuckle.

"You have no idea." Crow replied.

About an hour later, Crow woke up once again, having passed out on a surprisingly cozy couch in front of a thrift shop next to an old Mexican restaurant that still smelled like the best burritos in town, despite having been closed for months. He opened his eyes, and glanced at the gas station. The crowd had begun whistling and cheering, and he figured that the truck was arriving. Sure enough, the deep honking of its horn sounded, like the fanfare of a king to his royal subjects. The truck circled the station, before pulling in, the driver hopping out and starting to lay down the hoses. Crow grinned, and laid back, keeping his hood over his head. He glanced at his watch. 3:12pm. Hopefully Paul had delivered the meds. Harley has complained last time that it was hard to run and play with the other kids on the street because of her stomach pains. As he recalled his last visit, the cheers in the gas station turned into shouts of panic. Sitting up, he looked at the station again. About six men on dirtbikes stormed into the gas station, surrounding the truck. All of them carried a rifle or submachine gun, and one of them fired it into the air, screaming something to the crowd. The militia seemed to have disappeared, probably after growing bored of waiting for the truck. Crow gulped, looking around, before getting up and running towards the gas station. He finally managed to get within hearing range.

"… is ours! You all fucking hear me? It's ours now. You come after us, and we come back and kill more of you. Understand?" shouted what appeared to be their ringleader, wearing a mask, ski goggles, and sporting flaming red hair.

"Yo boss. Chatters going crazy. Militia's on its way." Shouted another guy, sitting on his bike and wearing a headset connected to a portable satellite dish mounted on the bike. The boss cursed, and motioned to one of the gunmen, who walked his bike to the truck, stowed it behind the cab of the truck, and got inside. Boss looked at the crowd, before stepping forward and grabbing a little girl, drawing a pistol and aiming it at her head. The crowd screamed, and the girls mother reached out, sobbing.

"NO! PLEASE! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"Shut up, bitch. This is insurance. Militia gets here, you tell them that they don't follow us. If we make it past the Onofre border, we'll leave your daughter there. Good luck getting down there before the raiders find her." He snickered, before dragging her over to the truck and opening the passenger door. The crowd began to panic, the mother sobbing. Crow closed his eyes, and sensed for the available power sources around him. Gas pumps, the big 76 sign, car batteries. He knew he couldn't go overboard, for a simple misfired spark could ignite the entire station. Crow moved towards the truck and placed a hand on the trailer's frame. He sent a low current through the truck, keeping careful to focus it through the trucks wiring and avoiding the actual gas container. The current passed into the cab, through the gunmen and the girl, and through their weapons. Crow kept his eyes closed, running the current through them a bit more, time seeming to slow down, before he opened his eyes.

_Driver, infected with the plague. Armed with M4 styled rifle, semi automatic. No round chambered. 12 in magazine. The boss, also infected, armed with two weapons: Police issue MP5, 16 full metal jacket rounds in chamber. Colt M1911 pistol, .45 caliber handgun. Deadly… but completely unloaded except for the one round in the chamber. The plan: First, engage boss and free the girl. Then, charge truck, override automatic transmission and roll forward. Truck will run into planter, away from gas pumps. Electrocute cab and take down the driver._

Crow worked his jaw, as he worked the plan in his mind. The other gunmen, would be a hell of a challenge, but he figured that the minute a conduit began to attack them they would flee, being unprepared, especially if their highest ranking member was carrying such a minimal amount of ammunition. Silent, he moved along the back of the truck as the crowd panicked and scurried, the gunman shoving them away. The boss picked the girl up and sat her down into the passenger seat of the truck, and turned to see Crow standing there. It took the boss a moment to register him, before he scowled, "Get the fuck back, or I kill he…" he started, before Crow cocked back his fist and connected it to the man's face, successfully knocking off his goggles. The man shot back, charged with electricity, before slamming into the open door and slumping to the ground. The gunmen, taking notice, raised their weapons, when one of them called out.

"Don't fucking shoot! You'll light us all up you idiots!"

Crow grinned, the plan underway. Leaping into the cab of the truck, he put a hand on the dashboard and fired a pulse into it. The truck revved and groaned, before lurching with a grinding noise and rolling forward. The driver fumbled for his weapon, and took aim at Crow, pulling the trigger and only receiving a little click. Realizing the mistake, he was about to chamber the round, when Crow slammed the passenger door shut, and pushed himself off it, slamming the driver out through his door, knocking it off in the process. The door hit the ground and it's window shattered, as Crow landed on top of him. He rolled off him, and fired a blast of lightning into him, illuminating him a moment before he went still. The other gunmen took aim at him, and he blinked in shock, preparing an electric shield. It wasn't necessary though, as the sound of sirens neared. The gunmen looked at each other, leapt onto their bikes, and vanished, leaving their boss and the driver there. A few of the militia stopped, while the rest took off after the fleeing raiders. The gas truck finally rolled into the large planter and stopped, the gas pricing sign preventing it from moving further. The mother bolted to the truck, and grabbed her daughter happily. The driver groaned, before feeling the weight of several militia guards on top of him, restraining and tying him down. The boss opened his eyes, and seeing Crow standing there victorious, raised his hand, still holding the M1911. He aimed for Crow, and muttered. "Fuck you, conduit asshole.", before firing, the bullet missing and hitting the gas truck's tank. Gas began to leak from the truck, and the crowd began to run as it did. Crow quickly made sure he didn't touch the liquid, though the puddle forming around the truck began to move to a different threat: the driver, being hogtied. Crow reached out to warn them, but it was too late. The electricity still coursing through the driver connected with the puddle, igniting it. The gas lit up, flames travelling from the driver to the trailer, before the whole thing went up with a loud and heart-stopping BOOM. The crowd nearby was thrown back, Crow included, as the explosion went shrapnel and chunks of truck into the air. Crow hit the asphalt hard, and blacked out a moment, before recovering and slowly getting to his feet. He groaned in pain, feeling his heart pounding. His skin felt burned and scraped, while his joints ached. He looked at the massive flames coming from the wreckage of the truck, and moved to a nearby light pole. Holding up his hands, he connected with the power inside it, and withdrew it, the electricity flaring out from the pole, traveling up his arms, and disappearing inside him. Instantly he felt his body rejuvenating, and within seconds, he released the charge, panting. The pain for the most part was gone, though he still ached a bit. He looked back at the gas station and cursed. The pumps were heavily damaged, the station's leak alarms going off, and around the station a lot of people were injured, lying on the ground. Some of them were beginning to get up, and some of them weren't moving at all. Cursing again, he saw Paul get out of his car, and make eye contact with him, giving him a concerned "I'd leave if I were you." look. About to flee, Crow found himself face to face with the remaining crowd of people. _Too late._

"This is your fault! You did this!"

"It's that electric Conduit!"

"Sack of shit! Murderer!"

Crow inhaled, and shook his head, "No no.. I… I didn't…" he started, before backing up. Before he could, someone grabbed him from behind and forced him into a headlock. He growled and fought against him, "Get the fuck off me!"

"Shut up, freak. You're a damn monster. You deserve everything that's coming to you!" his captor shouted, while the crowd advanced, arming themselves with junk, wooden beams, and scraps of metal from the still falling parts of the truck. Even the mother of the girl he rescued held a beam in her hand. Crow struggled, before closing his eyes, inhaling sharply.

"You ungrateful ASSHOLES!" he screamed, before exploding in a shower of red electricity. The man holding him tensed up, only putting him closer in contact with Crow. The electricity arced out, knocking several people back, while the man he held simply froze, eyes rolling, muscles bulging. He began to foam at the mouth, convulsing slightly. Finally, the electricity dissipated, though sparks of red were still flying off Crow's body. The man released him, and slumped to the ground, dead. The crowd watched in horror, before turning the eyes back to Crow, who stepped forward and threw his hands out, sending an electric shockwave at the group, throwing most of them backwards and giving them a decent jolt. The rest of the crowd stepped back, away from him, and the militia simply remained there, torn between helping the crowd, and avoiding a conflict with him. Paul remained by hi car, before moving to assist those injured in the explosion.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he shouted, stepping forward. The crowd departed, vanishing quickly for their lives. The mother grabbed her daughters hand and ran, while the girl looked back. She saw Crow break into a run, disappearing down a street, before she looked forward, whispering a sad "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3: The Crofts

**Meredith Canyon**

**San Juan Capistrano, CA**

**Orange Wastelands**

**3/14/13 – 1000hrs (10:00am)**

Victor Croft let out a choked cough, an odd sound that rang on his walls and echoed back into him, bring out more of them. The plague was unrelenting, and Victor knew this first hand. He coughed a little while longer before he sat up on his bed. No longer able to sleep, he let out a small sigh and looked up, having just noticed the figure in his doorway. In it stood a girl, 14 in age, pale, with light blonde hair which he kept tied back. She smiled at him, and held a tray with what looked like eggs and bacon, some toast, and a glass of orange juice. She walked over to his bedside and set the tray down on the end table, before giving him a hug.

"How're you feeling, dad?"

"Oh, you know. On top of the world." He chuckled, "Hey, is that bacon?"

"Yeah… the Rodgers left it. Seems even in a time like this those guys share what they don't need." She said.

"Good… that's great, Hayley. Has Lucius been around?"

"Not yet. Paul Kitcham came by about an hour ago. Said he was looking for him. He also brought some new medication." She said softly. Victor nodded a bit, before sitting on the edge of the bed, picking up the tray and setting it onto his lap. He picked up a fork, scooped up a chunk of egg, and slipped it into his mouth. He glanced at Hayley, who was looking at the ground messing with her hands.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked, setting down the fork.

"Ro… Ronnie didn't make it last night… he had another attack. His dad was…" she sighed. "He wasn't paying attention.."

"Ronnie? Peters? Oh jeez… Aw I'm sorry hun. I know it sucks, It really does. But at least he's not suffering anymore… you know how bad his pains were getting."

"I know…" she said "It's just.. that's the third kid my age in the neighborhood. It's sad because I liked Ronnie. He was so nice, but his parents hated us."

"Well, lots of people nowadays don't like us hun. You know that. With Lucius and Tira being… well, it's alright. We'll make it by. Eventually they'll find a cure."

They both went silent for a moment, Victor continuing his breakfast, when the sound of the front door opening startled them. Hayley immediately went to the nightstand, pulling out a Glock 9mm handgun, while Victor reached under the bed and withdrew a Mossberg shotgun. They heard footsteps, move from the front door to the kitchen, and heard the familiar sound of a chip bag being assaulted. Hayley let out a sigh and turned the corner to see Crow standing there with a handful of Doritos. Crow looked at her, and flashed a weak smile, "Hey kid. What's new?"

"You scared us half to death.." she said in mock annoyance. Crow laughed, closed the bag, and finished off the chips in his hands. "How's dad?" he asked.

"He's okay." She replied, nodding and turning back into Victors room. Crow entered and smiled at the man. "Hey pops."

"Lucius! How're you?" he asked, slipping the shotgun back under the bed.

"Glad you didn't shoot me for one." Crow replied. He looked at Hayley and cocked a brow. "Since when do you pack heat?"

"Dad gave me _the talk_. Said with the news of raiders nearby that I should be prepared."

Crow shuddered, and shook his head, "Gotcha. Well, don't worry about that. I don't think they'll be quick to come back." He said with a sigh. Hayley was about to ask why when the lights flickered, before dimming. Victor cursed under his breath.

"Those damn batteries. Generator keeps losing it's charge." He said, as if he had no idea what to do. He looked at Crow with a 'please?' sort of look. Crow grinned and nodded, before stepping out. Hayley followed him, tucking the handgun into the waistline of her skirt.

Out in the backyard, Crow stopped and looked at the mess of a power station that stood attached to the house. A combination of Victor and the Peters' skills in electricity and repair, the power generator supplied him and their neighbors with enough power to keep lights and appliances running. However, as always, the used parts were the tricky ones, and it was clear that the batteries were at the end of their life. Crow let out a sigh, before holding up his hands. Feeling his current inside him, he opened his hands up and fired a pulse into the generator. The red lightning ran down his arm and shot out from his palms, connecting to the generator. The charge lights blinked bright like fireworks, and the machinery inside sped up a bit. Crow kept the charge running until he had to break, catching his breath and leaning against the wall. Hayley looked up at him with a concerned expression, before looking at the ground.

"Red lightning means… you did something painful.." she said quietly. Crow looked at her a moment, and nodded. "I,,, I hurt a lot of people on accident. Tried to stop the bandits from taking a little girl, but wound up losing focus and the gas station blew up because of it. One bullet, Hayley." He said angrily. "And then this guy… he grabbed me. Dude reeked of alcohol. And I panicked and fried him in front of everyone."

"Well you can't help it. You have all this power but no one can stop a bullet. And you were just defending yourself. Don't let it hurt you that bad." She said. Crow nodded, before finally smiling again, "Oh hey, did Paul drop off the medicine?"

"Yeah!" Hayley said with a nod, "I haven't coughed all day. I was going to go hang out with some of the other kids."

"Awesome. Ask dad first though, alright? I gotta run down and handle some things." He said. Hayley nodded, gave him a quick hug, before heading towards the back door. She stopped, and looked at him. "Oh… and… we got a letter from… Tira.."

**Los Angeles International Airport**

**Los Angeles, CA**

**LA Wastelands**

**3/14/13 – 1335 (1:35pm)**

Tira moved swiftly, avoiding eye contact. Numerous soldiers were walking around the terminal, assault rifles ready. She looked up and noticed a sign, "No Conduits Allowed". _Typical_, she thought as she moved through the small crowd. The majority of the airport had been converted into a shelter while the terminal she was in still operated, allowing flights to go to and from major cities that stood despite the worldwide nightmare. The soldiers wore gasmasks and full body chemical suits, which she found rather pointless as she was sure they were infected. She slipped into a woman's restroom and looked herself over in the mirror. She was 20, and was very well built. Like Lucius, she was always out, though she preferred to spend her free time exercising and toning her body. She ran a hand down her shirt, smoothing out the fabric, before reaching up and tying back her jet black hair. Smiling, she turned and headed out the door. A small group of soldiers walked past her, and one of them stopped to do a double take. He drew a small device from his rucksack, and called over to her. Tira sped up, dodging the crowd. The soldier, still on her tail, broke into a run as well, moving quickly after her.

"Hey! HEY! STOP!" he called. Tira went into a full sprint, and at this point the soldier put the device away and drew his handgun, chasing her. "STOP, CONDUIT!"

Tira dodged people, gurneys, and luggage carts as she continued through the terminal. Ahead, another group of soldiers caught sight of her and her pursuer, and readied their weapons, blocking her off. Or at least so they thought. As she neared, she leapt up, eyes closed, and burst into a spectacular flame. The flame knocked a few of the soldiers back, and they watched as it flared before dissipating. The soldiers, confused, began to frantically search for her, but she was gone. Outside, she leaned against the terminal wall, and grinned, breathing hard. She enjoyed being a Conduit. If someone crossed her, she acted on it. At first, she was scared. She and her brother discovered their powers at the same time. His was lightning and electricity. Hers, was fire. After a while, she grew to love her abilities. And to her, if others didn't like her for it, they'd learn to quick. She continued down the road, glancing at the multitudes of people trying to get into the airport for food. Some looked horrible, clothes hanging off sick bodies. Some of them were pale and thin, the plague working through their malnourished bodies fast. Though what she noticed most was a group of people clad in suits and dresses, appearing to be the more wealthy of the others. They received special access into the terminal, and curious, Tira flickered over to a security officer allowing them in.

"Pardon me, sir?" she asked sweetly, unbuttoning the top of her shirt and exposing some of her cleavage. That was a great tactic, for she snapped his attention away from the door.

"Yeah? How can I help you?"

"I'm just wondering what this door is for." She said with a subtle smile.

"Oh, it's for Church of America access. Used to be a VIP door but now we feed COA staff and preachers through it." He said with a chuckle. Tira frowned, "You mean, the Church gets special privileges?"

"Hey, I didn't like it at first either." He said, eyes still locked onto her breasts, wanting to strip her out of her clothes. "But when you feed an entire nation, the least we can do is give 'em a nice place to rest."

"What about the Conduits."

"Ehh… not really… allowed to talk about them." He said, looking away.

"Why aren't they allowed?"

"Because most people think their too dangerous… including the church. No one wants them around, and so long as the church provides us with the necessary things we need to survive, we'll adhere to their standards." He concluded, before turning her and her partially exposed bust away. She let out a growl and watched the group funneled into the building, before turning and heading across the street. She'd handle this someway or another. Nothing a bit of havoc wouldn't handle. She hated being discriminated against. And this was a prime example of that.


	4. Chapter 4: Ground Zero

**Chapter 4: Ground Zero**

**Outside the Croft household**

**Meredith Canyon**

**San Juan Capistrano, CA**

**Orange Wastelands**

**3/14/13 – 1300hrs (1:00pm)**

"…and with that last statement, we remember our friend Ronnie, and may he finally have peace in this troubled time. Thank you." Said a man, standing in front of the recently deceased Ronnie Peters house. A group of 20 or so kids stood, circling a pine tree with ribbons around it, looking down at the pictures and flowers left for Ronnie. Some people were crying, others simply standing with closed eyes. In the crowd was Hayley, working her jaw. She looked up and made eye contact with Ronnie's father, Sean. The man glared back at her, before wrapping an arm around his wife and pulling her close for a hug. Hayley looked back down at the ground, and sighed softly. After a few more people got up and spoke their eulogies, the crowd departed, leaving the memorial around the tree for their fallen neighbor. In the street, a group of kids gathered.

"I can't believe it man." said Sam, a 15 year old sophomore.

"I know right? Ronnie? I mean, why him. He was such a great friend." replied another student, Tom.

"You know, it's all the conduits fault." Sam spat.

"How?" asked Hayley, narrowing her brow. The others looked at her a moment, before a voice came from behind her.

"Because conduits are what started this shit, girl."

They all turned to see Sean Peters behind her, whisky bottle in his hand and anger in his eyes. He looked at Hayley and scowled.

"You ever heard the story of Empire City? Some conduit got a hold of a bomb there. Went right into the middle of the city, and blew it up. Why? No one knows for sure, but I think it's because he KNEW he'd survive. He wanted to bring conduits up. To wipe humanity off the earth and make himself the dominant species. Conduits do nothing but hurt."

"That's not true…" Hayley started.

"Oh hell yes it is. This Empire City guy.. Cole Mac-fucking-Grath. He was a vicious sonuvabitch. He'd fry anyone who got in his way, for no reason at all. Causes an explosion that sparks the original plague, kills tons of people, then goes down to New Marais and gets himself killed during a fight with another damn conduit. Idiots down there see him as a hero. I see him as the asshole who opened up the gates of hell. After the conduit gene was 'cured' and supposedly all conduits in the world died, and the plague gone, all it took was someone else to realize that the gene had not been killed, and to think of a new way to recreate the bomb MacGrath used and apply it to every fucking power plant in the US. So yeah, all in all, it's the conduits fault.." he snapped. The kids gasped, but it wasn't at Sean's accusation. Sean was so blind in his rant that he failed to notice the figure behind him. When it stepped out and turned toward the group, they took a few steps back. Not Sean though. He puffed himself up dominantly and began to size him up. Hayley smiled softly, "Lucius!"

"Hey Hay." He said softly, before he looked at Sean. "Mr. Peters. My condolences on your loss. Sucks to lose someone so close to you…" he started.

"Oh cut the crap, demon. Playing Mr. Sensitive after your little stunt there at the gas station? Yeah, I've heard about that. My wife was down there getting rations." Sean spat.

"It was a defensive stunt, Sean. You try getting caught in a headlock with a crowd overbearing on y.."

"NO not that." Sean practically exploded, the hand holding his beer shaking. "I mean how you blew up our fucking gas station. You just couldn't accept the fact that _your_ kind wasn't allowed to buy gas. No no, you had to make sure all of us were screwed."

"It was a fucking raider, you drunken idiot. If I hadn't stepped in they would've taken all our damn gas. And it's just a truck that blew up. WE still have the station. It just needs repairs."

"Bullshit!" spat Sean. "Your kind is to blame for everything that's happening here. Your kind blew up San Onofre. Your kind fucked over the world. Your kind killed my boy!"

"Mr. Peters.." Hayley said, desperately trying to intervene. Sean glared at her, and raised his arm. "SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BITCH." Before bringing it down, slapping her hard with the back of his hand. She cried and fell, landing on her rump and looking up at him through shocked eyes. Crow yelled out and threw his hands out towards Sean. A red wave of electricity erupted from them, and passed over Sean, picking him up and sending him flying backwards. The man landed on his back, and quickly got to his feet. Crow crouched to help Hayley, who was surprisingly unscathed by the assault. Sean quickly darted back over, and threw himself at Crow, wrapping an arm around his neck. Crow yelped and fell over, on top of him, feeling the drunken Sean start sending punches into his side and ribs. Crow fought back, wrestling with him a moment before successfully turning in place, facing Sean. Cocking back his arm, he began striking the man heavily in the face with his fist. He hit him once. Twice. Three times. Four times. The kids around them were screaming, cheering one or the other on. Sean cursed and shouted at him, fists flailing, while blood poured from his now broken nose. The fight continued at the ferocity, before a police siren silenced the crowd. A cruiser screeched to a halt on the street, and Paul Kitcham bolted out, baton in hand.

"Hey HEY! Break it up!" he shouted, shoving the crowd out of his path before grabbing Crow by the collar and ripping him away from Sean, who stood up only to take a blow to the knee from Paul's baton, taking him right back to the ground.

"Sean, you best sit your ass down and wait until I've handled this mess, alright. And don't you try anything stupid either, Croft." He said, turning to Crow.

"That asshole hit my sister…" Crow snarled, glaring at Sean. The man merely spat a stream of blood and scowled.

"He killed my son."

"Alright alright, both of you shut the hell up. Now… we're all full in the substation, and with the rest of the militia out chasing the raiders who tore up our gas station, I don't have the goddamn time to show up and pry you two apart over stupid crap like 'oh he did this.'" Paul sighed, releasing Crow and holstering the baton. He looked at Sean, and pointed at him with his entire hand like a knife. "You, are going to ditch the booze, go inside, and so help me Lord you're going to pray for your son. And you…" he said, turning to Crow. "You're gonna come with me. Need to talk about things.. but first change out. You're bleeding all over yourself."

Crow looked down and nodded, stepping back and heading towards is house, where Victor stood, holding onto his cane. He watched Crow move up the garden stairs, nodding to him, before he moved along to make sure Hayley was okay.

About twenty minutes later, Crow was in the passenger seat of Paul's patrol car. Paul was quiet most of the time as they sped down the empty freeway, dodging the occasional broken down car. Paul turned his dispatch radio off, and looked at Crow. "Don't let Sean get to you. The guys been through hell, and with Ronnie dying it's just… it's madness."

"Yeah, I know… but he hit Hayley, man. I'm not gonna take that lying down, you know?" Crow grumbled.

"Yeah yeah, I know. It's just… the entire neighborhood is probably going to hear about how you beat down a sick, grieving father. Knowing Sean, he'll milk this for all it's worth." Paul said, slowing the car down to go up an offramp. Crow shrugged and looked out the window. He narrowed his eyes, and looked at Paul. "What time is it?"

"Quarter till three. Why?"

"Why's it getting so dark?"

"That's where we're headed brother. I need to show ya something." He said. They drove a little while longer until they came to a stop at a truck viewpoint. Crow raised a brow, before getting out of the cruiser. Paul turned it off and pulled out the keys, before stepping out and closing his door. Crow found what Paul wanted to show him. Before them, where what used to be San Onofre, was a massive crater, almost a kilometer in radius. The ocean had flooded about two thirds of the crater. From the hilltop they could see the lifeless remains of the massive power plant, now just a huge hole in the ground. Paul nodded and rested a hand on Crow's shoulder. "The infamous Orange County." He said simply. "Apparently we were the first to go down during the attacks. Empire City was just a stepping stone for these guys.." he said. Crow merely watched the area. The sky was a dark grey from the dust in the air. Crow shook his head and crossed his arms. "Unbelievable."

"That's not the worst part. This is what I really brought you out for." Paul said, before handing Crow a pair of binoculars. He put them on, and watched Paul point out into the outer edge of the crater. Crow squinted as he looked through binoculars. He saw a pile of steel rubble, probably part of the reactor's shell. There were a few cars that'd been thrown in the blast on the far outskirts of the crater. However, on his second glance, he noticed something moving by the cars. A deer pranced from the car, seeming to be fleeing from something.

"Animals? This close to the blast site?" Crow asked. Paul shook his head and pointed again, "Keep looking."

Crow nodded and continued to follow the deer through the binoculars. The animal bounded along the remains of the road, before stopping. It lifted it's head, looking around, before staring directly at the hilltop that he and Paul stood on. It stared for a moment, before something slammed into it, taking it down. Crow yelled out in panic at the sight. The attacker appeared to be human, but disfigured to the point of having large, bug-like appendages for arms, with a sharp point for hands. The creature viciously tore into the deer, using its arms as spears, before another creature appeared, taking part in the meal as well. More and more creatures began to appear, snapping at each other for a piece, when suddenly a roar sounded, loud enough to make Paul and Crow duck. In the distance, a massive beast, about the size of a large elephant, stomped towards the others. It had a massive mouth in front, with odd scales that resembled thick plated armor. The beast roared once more, and when it stopped one of it's scales shifted to protect it's mouth. The beast continued until it stopped in front of the deer. The other creatures ran off, leaving the deer for the beast. It's scale shifted off of it's mouth, and it opened it's mouth wide, a long tongue whipping out, sticking to the deer, and pulling it into the monster. The beast swallowed, before moving to find it's next victim. Crow was in shock.

"What the FUCK was that?!" he shouted. Paul put his fingers to his lips, urging him to be quieter, before shrugging. "Freaks that survived the initial blast? Conduits gone wrong? I don't know man, but either way, this is bad. Those things, especially that big sucker, have been getting' closer and closer to our area. If one of those gets loose in the streets…"

"Oh god… what're we gonna do?" Crow asked.

"We need more militia. But to do that, we need to contact Los Angeles and San Diego Wastelands. LA will be easy… but San Diego, our connections to them are cut off… and I'm afraid we can't send anyone through there with that thing around." He said, looking at Crow hopefully.

"At least not anyone human, right? Someone special?" Crow asked, knowing already what that meant. "Fine.. I'll do it."

"Thanks… now, I heard your sister is in the area. The other one." Paul said. Crow nodded, remembering the letter from Tira. "She's not going to be a problem again, is she Crow?"

Crow shrugged, "I can't say. I haven't seen her since she discovered her fire. I'll see if I can keep her under control." He said.

"Good… I don't want things to get heated before they need to be." Paul said, before opening his car door. "C'mon.. let's head home. We can discuss more of this on the way back."

**Updates:**

_**Putting some things together. Please read and review ^^ I love writing but am still fairly new at making a story, so bear with me :P Anyway, enjoy! I take no ownership over infamous (1 or 2), it's characters, or the monsters (like the Devourer).**_


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